Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-06-11


John did not wait for any more, but laid
the whip across the horses backs with will.
On the following morning, when Com
mandant Frank Withdrawing heard that
this enemy, John Mel, was ON his way up
with the Cape cart and four gray horses-sis-
eertained that a vehicle answering to that
description had been allowed TO pass through
Heidelberg in the dead of night, his state of
mind may better be imagined than de-
scribed.
As for the two sentlics, he had them tried
by court martial and set them to make forti-
cations for the rest of the rebellion. They
can neither of them now hear the name Of q
clergyman mentioned without breaking out
into perfect flood of blasphemy.
Luckily for John, although he had been
DELAYED for five minutes or more, he man
aged to overtake the cart in which he pre-
sumed the bishop was esconced. His lordship
had been proyidentially delayed by the break
ing OF trace; otherwise, it is clear that his
self nominated chaplain would never have
got through the steep streets of Heidelberg
that night. The whole town was choked up
with Boer wagons, full now of sleeping
Beers Over one batch of wagons and tents
JUnl fildlie OUT tHe Attes HNttNi
in the night breeze, and emblaZoned with tho
appropriate emblem of an OK wagon and an
armed Boer, marking, no doubt, the head
quarters of the triumyirate. Once the cart
ahead of him was stopped by q sentry and
some conversation ensued. Then it went on
again; and SO did John, unmolested. 1t was
weary work, that journey through Heidel-
berg, and full of terrors for John, who every
moment expected to be stopped and dragged
off ANONYMOUSLY to Jail. The horses, too,
were dead beat, and made frantic attempts
to turn and stop at every house. But, some
how, they got through the little place and
then were stopped once more. Again the
first cart got on ahead, but this time John
was not SO lucky.
"The pass said one cart, :" said n voice.
yah, yah. one cart, answered another.
John again put on his clerical air and told
his artless tale; but neither of tho men could
understand English, so they went to a wagon
that was standing about fifty yards away to
fetch somebody who could.
"Now, inkoos.n whispered the Zulu IoUti,
idriye on! drive onl"
John took the hint and dashed the horses
with his long whip; while Mouti, bending
forward over the splashboard, thrashed the
wheelers with sjambock. OFF went the
team In spasmodic gallop and had covered
a hundred yards of ground before the two
sentries had realized what had happened.
Then they began to run after the cart shout
ing, but were soon lost in the darkness.
John and Mouti did not spare the whip,
but pressed on up the stony hills on the Pre-
| toria side of Heidelberg without halt
By IL O'Clock they reached hotel, or way
| side house, known as Fergusons, and situated
about twenty miles from Pretoria 1t was
empty, except for "a couple of cats and stray
| dog The inhabitants had evidently fled
from the Beers. Here John stabbed and fed
his horses, giving them all that remained OF
| the forage; and then, once more, started on
| for the last stage The road was dreadful;
| and he knew that the country must be full of
| hostile Beers, but fortunately be met none.
| 1t took him four hours to get over the twenty
| miles Of ground: but it was not until he got
to the "Poort,' or neck running down into
| Pretoria, that he saw a vestige of a Boer.
| Then he made out two mounted mon riding
along the top of precipitous stone streWn
ridge, some GOO yards or so from him. Al
| first he thought that they were going to de
scend it, but presently they changed then
| minds and got off their horses.
| While he was still wondering what this
might portend he saw puff of white smoke
| float up from where the men were, and theI
another. Then came the sharp, unmistakabl'
| ping" OF bullet passing, as far as he coult
| judge, within three feet of his head, followed
by second ping" and cloud of dust be
meath the belly of the first horse. The TIVE
Beers were firing at him.
He did not wait for any more target prac
| tice, but, thrashing the horses to d canter
got the cart round a projecting bank befor'
they could load and fire again. After tha
he saw no more of them.
At last he reached the mouth of the Poor
and saw the prettiest of the South african
towns, with its red and white houses, it, tai
clumps of trees and pink lines of bloomin!
rose hedges lying On the plain before him, nj
set in the green veldt, and made beautiful h
the golden light Of the afternoon, and h
| thanked God for the sight. He knew that h
was safe now, and let his tired horses wall
slowly down the hillside and across the bit o
| plain beyond. To his left were the Jail an
barrack sheds, and gathered about them wer
hundreds of wagons and tents, toward whic
he drove. Evidently the town was deserte
and its inhabitants in danger. When he go
| within half mile or so picket of mounte,
men came riding toward him, followed by
miscellaneous crowd on horseback and o
foot.
@Who goes there," shouteda voice in bones
English.
"A friend who is uncommonly glad to Sc
you" he answered, with that feeble jocosit
we are all apt to indulge in when q grea
weight is at length lifted from our nerves.